What carries and accumulates wisdom (paññā) from moment to moment?What carries and accumulates other wholesome qualities (such as alobha, adosa) from moment to moment?What carries and accumulates unwholesome qualities (such as lobha or dosa) from moment to moment?

Is it bhavaṅga citta, or some other kind of citta?

With metta,

Alex

"Life is a struggle. Life will throw curveballs at you, it will humble you, it will attempt to break you down. And just when you think things are starting to look up, life will smack you back down with ruthless indifference..."

There is nothing carried, only related. If you harm someone and they later harm you, this is not because you or any part of you carried anything. It is due to the attachment in the mind of another, a seed planted within their mind which ripens in the form of violence upon you. Causes of related Effects. This is how all things work, including our Karma and skillful means used to break the mind out of unwholesome states and views.

Last edited by ajahndoe on Fri Mar 04, 2011 5:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

Does the Abhidhamma talk about anything being "carried (by x)" or "accumulated (by x)?

I think you'd start there before asking the "what" does the carrying or accumulation.

Metta,Retro.

If you have asked me of the origination of unease, then I shall explain it to you in accordance with my understanding: Whatever various forms of unease there are in the world, They originate founded in encumbering accumulation. (Pārāyanavagga)

Exalted in mind, just open and clearly aware, the recluse trained in the ways of the sages:One who is such, calmed and ever mindful, He has no sorrows! -- Udana IV, 7

The question is about the mechanism that accumulates qualities such as wisdom or ignorance.

How does the mental quality that one has developed affect the future mental states?

If nothing is "carried", "accumulated" or "stored", then it is useless to develop anything as it will not affect anything in the future.

With best wishes,

Alex

"Life is a struggle. Life will throw curveballs at you, it will humble you, it will attempt to break you down. And just when you think things are starting to look up, life will smack you back down with ruthless indifference..."

Each citta which arises falls away completely and is succeeded by the next citta. How then can there be accumulations of experiences in life, accumulations of good and bad inclinations? The reason is that each citta which falls away is succeeded by the next citta. Our life is an uninterrupted series of cittas and each citta conditions the next citta and this again the next, and thus the past can condition the present. It is a fact that our good cittas and bad cittas in the past condition our inclinations today. Thus, good and bad inclinations are accumulated.